DOING A GOOD DEED FOR THOSE WHO ARE WILLING TO STAND UP FOR THEIR RIGHTS, EVEN IF THEY HAVE TO STAND ALONE…

 

 I dedicate this blog to Dr. Wayne Kublalsingh...

 

“The day we see truth and cease to speak is the day we begin to die.” Martin Luther King

“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.” Elie Wiesel

This week I had initially decided that my topic would have been based on doing good deeds for our lovers, but when the incident of the hunger strike by Dr. Wayne Kublalsingh kept appearing in the media, be it television, newspapers etc  I felt moved and obligated to change my focus and make the issue of supporting those who choose to stand up for their rights, even if they stand alone, my new topic.

My initial reaction when I heard/read about Dr. Kublalsingh’s decision to go on a hunger strike was:-“Does this man really know what he is doing?” This type of behavior is not the norm in Trinidad and Tobago. Here, we burn tyres, we make noise, we march up and down the streets-chanting and dancing. Going on a hunger strike is certainly not the norm- I can remember Lincoln Myers (NAR Minister)  going on one sometime in the 1980's. (Please correct me if I am wrong.)

I heard various remarks from friends/coworkers, for example: “But this man crazy or what?”; “He not even living there.”; “I will never do that.” and “Look, the others around him eating, I sure he eating something in the night.” etc. There were other voices, though fewer, who were more supportive and but were still sceptical about any favorable response from the Government.

I listened to all the various views and I will say, that there was something inside of me that just admired the man. I admired that he was willing to protest for his values and beliefs…a silent protest (well, except for the time he dealt with the Minister of Health). I admired that he was not afraid to stand up for what he thought was right, even if he had to do it alone.

I will not use this blog to state my opinion on the issue of the Point Fortin Highway, for as Sunity Maharaj, Editior of the Express Newspaper, writes in Editorial in this Sunday’s Edition(November 25, 2012) - Open letter to the PM and Dr K- ”Despite the passions stirred by the Point Fortin Highway, it is obvious that very few people have the facts about this $7 billion-plus project, the costliest expansion of infrastructure in this country's history.”

I, like many other Trinidadians, do not have the facts. But I wanted to make a statement…I wanted to do a “good deed” for this man…I wanted to let him know that I admired him.

It was on the Sunday night news, when he made the call for members of the public to come join him, I accepted the invitation and made the decision to go and meet with the man.

So the next day, (Monday 26, November 2012) I went to the location - outside the Office of the Prime Minister, St Clair. I arrived at approximately 10:15 am and stood there in silent prayer. Dr. Kublalsingh who was not present at that time, came around 11:20 am. He looked so frail and weak and needed the assistance of his nurse to walk.  Yet, I must say that there was something about him that seemed very strong. The media swarmed around him, so I never got a chance to speak with him. I left five (5) minutes later, because I had to attend my classes at COSTAATT.

At the Institution, whilst we were waiting on the lecturer, I informed my classmates about my experience and a discussion about Dr. Kublalsingh started. The views were varied, some supporting, some disagreeing. When the lecturer arrived and started her session, I just could not concentrate and I requested her permission to leave the class early.

When I returned to the site, it was difficult to get close to the Doctor, who was still surrounded by the Media; also there was the ex Prime Minister Mr. Basdeo Panday, who had everyone around laughing, with his unique sense of humor.

Fortunately for me, Sargeant Wayne Mystar came on the scene and the media flocked towards him, creating the opportunity for me to finally meet with the Doctor. The only persons left around him were a few women from the Re-route Movement, who were cooling his body with damp towels. Initially I was a bit apprehensive (I really don’t know why.) but I put aside my fears and stepped up to him, extending my hand. I held his left hand and said in his ear: “May the Almighty continue to protect you.” and I kissed him on his cheek. It was very touching and emotional and the tears rolled down my cheeks, to which he responded: “Thank you, Miss, but please don’t cry.” I gently squeezed his hand and quietly walked away, leaving the area. 

Those few minutes I spent with him…with the extension of my hand...I gave him my support…I gave him my love.

 

Later on in the day I reflected on the entire incident, and to me, regardless, if we agree or disagree with his opinion on the Highway re-route, he was still a human being and should be treated as such.

Are we such a complacent  people, that we can be so casual and indifferent about another human-being practically dying before our very eyes and  we can just shrug our shoulders and move on to something else? Many may say it is his choice. Yes it may be so. But should we just stand by and watch him die?

 

As I stated before, the average Trinidadian does not have all the information pertaining to this issue (and many other issues) and it appears that we are not very bothered by this lack of information...it seems as if it does not matter to us. It is as if: "Who really cares?"

We seem to be contented  and willing to accept anything that our elected Leaders do and tell us. Imagine a man is choosing to die for a cause, (whether his justification is right or wrong) and our Leaders, instead of dealing with the issues in a rational and humane manner, prefer to verbally attack the Doctor and his family.

If only our leaders can learn from this quote from Nelson Mandela: ”A good leader can engage in a debate frankly and thoroughly, knowing that at the end he and the other side must be closer, and thus emerge stronger. You don't have that idea when you are arrogant, superficial, and uninformed.”

 

In this blog,  I am not suggesting that we should all go on hunger strikes, but I would hope that we find some way, in our own way, to let our voices be heard.

Yesterday, some students at the University of the West Indies, together with some lecturers,  walked around the St. Augustine Campus, showing their solidarity for Dr. Kublalsingh.

As BOB MARLEY sang in his song "GET UP...STAND UP..."
 

"Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!

Get up, stand up: don't give up the fight!
Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: don't give up the fight!"

We need to stand up for what we think  are our rights, even if it means we stand alone...even if it is not a popular choice.

We need to get up...stand up for what we believe…

It is very important to state again that  I am not endorsing any sort of violent or destructive behavior. There are many creative ways for "standing up" for one’s rights. Many great men have changed the course of society  by doing it their way, for example:-Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr and Mahatma Ghandi.

They all "got up and stood up" for their rights- in their own ways.

Let us as fellow-human beings, instead of criticizing or making fun of those who choose to protest and stand up for their rights, especially if done in such a peaceful manner, try to do a "good deed" for them.

Let us create environments where individuals can feel free and comfortable  to express their opinions, even if it is different from ours. We should make ourselves more informed about issues of others, even if it does not directly affect us. We must try to understand people, for as Gregory Peck (as Atticus Finch in "To Kill a Mockingbird") says: "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view." 

Do a good deed for those individuals...those individuals who are willing to stand up for what they believe, even if it means they have to go it alone.
Let us show them that they are not alone.

"First they ignore you.

Then they laugh at you.
Then they fight you.
Then you win." ~ Gandhi

 May God continue to bless and protect you, Doctor Wayne Kublalsingh.

DOING A GOOD DEED FOR OUR PAST.

DOING A GOOD DEED FOR OUR ELDERS.

I would like to dedicate this blog to the following persons: my grandparents (both maternal and paternal) and my dad, who are all deceased; my mother (Mammy) who is presently seventy-eight (78) years old and all the other elderly persons in my life.

Our society must make it right and possible for old people not to fear the young or be deserted by them, for the test of a civilization is the way that it cares for its helpless members. Pearl S. Buck

This week again, I am starting my blog with a video (Old Time Days by Richard Nappy Mayers)- another beautifully composed song by one of our local greats.

 

 

"Bring back the old time days

Bring back them old time ways

I know everything must change

But I still love the old time days."

Personally, I don’t think he was talking about bringing back all things from years gone by. I would like to think that he was talking about the old time values that are so quickly being lost.

Last week, even though I had a very busy schedule, I decided to make some time to spend with my seventy eight years old mother, Mammy, as I so lovingly call her. She is a retired primary school teacher and a very strict disciplinarian, who, thankfully :) has mellowed throughout the years. I also encouraged my two daughters to sit in the conversation, so that they would know what life was like back then in Trinidad and Tobago and to also be aware of the many privileges that they presently have and take for granted.

I must state that I am not a delinguent daughter, for I see my mom regularly. It is just we never really get chance to chat,  for her to tell  me about her childhood, her life... 

 

She said, of course, that growing up “life was hard" but those were times that she will always cherish. She remembered having to “tote water" from the river, where the family would also wash their clothes.

 

Meat, mostly chicken, was only a Sunday lunch luxury and the only exception for meat during the week was when one of the “yard fowls got knocked down by a vehicle".

 

She recalled the creativity of her own mom (my deceased grandmother, who we called “Mama”) using the big cloth bags that was used to store the flour, washing and then dyeing the bags to make school clothes for them. Even when clothes were donated to the family, Mama would skillfully convert/redesign them so that even the donors did not recognize the clothes.

Although life was hard, there was always something to eat, no matter how simple, because everyone in the village used to “make garden” and they would  all share their harvest.

(Chemical–free, what we refer to now as “organic”)

Since there was no television, neighbours used to gather at each other homes in the evenings to talk about current issues. The adults spoke "patois" so the children would not understand what they were talking about. (That was gossiping-time.) My mom remembered that there were lots of interaction (and laughter) amongst the neigbours. Each adult in the community had the same “rights” as the parents and everyone played a role in the upbringing of the child.

As the African Proverb states “It takes a village to raise a child.”

Education was always stressed and important to the family because it was viewed as a way out of poverty. She said she grew up enjoying the simple things in her life and it made her more appreciative of small blessings, something she always tried to instill in us, her children.

I compared Mammy's life to my present life, which I know is similar to most individuals of my age-group. There is hardly  any time for communication at the family level.  Although, thinking about it, there is time, it is just that each person is more preoccupied in his/her own activities, be it tv-watching;cell-phone chatting; internet-surfing etc.  For most persons, there is a television/computer in every room, and this encourages each person to retreat to his/her own space.

Technology has its place, we know, but sometimes the abuse/overuse of it can result in not so favourable outcomes. We are slowly losing our interpersonal skills…our human connections.

Look at what happens for those of us who use public transport, the commuters in the bus or maxi taxis, would prefer to be chatting or texting on the cell phone for the entire trip, than to talk to  the person sitting next to them.

We seem to be a people who have no problem discarding the old (the past), in favour for something new. Take for example, the plastering of the walls of Lapeyrouse Cemetery, Tragarete Road, Port-of-Spain. These walls which are nearly 200 years old are made of Laventille limestone. History…our history...our past....

 

I was happy that I got a chance to chat with Mammy about her childhood and her life. I was also happy that my two (2) daughters were also involved in learning something about my mom's life. I do hope they appreciate all the good things/opportunities they have in their lives. We have been meeting and chatting with Mammy about "de ole times days" more regularly ever since, and she just enjoys the chance to reminisce.

 

For those of you reading my blog, when was the last time, you sat with your parent(s), grandparent(s) or any elder(s) in your family/community  (if they are still alive ) and found out a bit more about their past?

 

If you still have a living elderly member of your family/community, I would kindly urge you, after reading this blog, to please give them a call. If they are next to you, give them a hug, treasure them…do not wait until it is too late.

Let us celebrate and do a good deed for our elders. They are the ones who pass down knowledge and wisdom to all of us. By celebrating our elders, we are celebrating our past, and creating our future.

 

Let us not lose the  “long time” values…the values of our elders...

Bring it back…bring it back…bring back the values of our past…of our elders….

 

A bit of humour...

"As you get older three things happen. The first is your memory goes, and I can't remember the other two..." - Sir Norman Wisdom

"When I was young I was called a rugged individualist. When I was in my fifties I was considered eccentric. Here I am doing and saying the same things I did then and I'm labeled senile." - George Burns

Let us  all do a “good deed” for  the elders in our lives.

DOING A GOOD DEED FOR  OUR MOTHER (EARTH)
DOING A GOOD DEED FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

“We all moan and groan about the loss of the quality of life through the destruction of our ecology, and yet each one of us, in our own little comfortable ways, contributes daily to that destruction. It is time now to awaken in each one of us the respect and attention our beloved Mother (Earth) deserves."

Quote by actor, environmental supporter, Ed Asner

I started this blog with the video (Mother Earth by Brother Resistance), because I think it is one of the most beautiful songs ever written about the environment.

I would like that you play this video whilst reading this blog…it creates the mood. Also, if the video is completed before you have finished reading this blog...just click on the replay button.

Let this song just play...let it play in your mind…let it play in your heart…just  let it play...it is a beautiful song….

 

                            "Let meh vibes be one with you Mother Earth

                             Ah only want to know

                             To know you is to love you

                              Mother Earth"

 

 

It is very difficult to ignore what is presently happening to the environment. Take note of the most recent occurrences, in particular Superstorm Sandy with its devastation along the North East Coast of the United States  and across the Caribbean (Haiti, Cuba, Jamaica) with a death toll listed as one hundred and forty one (141) and sixty nine (69) respectively. 

It is as if  "our vibes are not one with Mother Earth". She is speaking to us…in fact,I believe she is crying out to us.

Even right here in Trinidad and Tobago, over the last few years we would have all noticed many differences in the weather patterns.
Our country may be one of the Caribbean countries that is not in the Hurricane Belt, but, however, from time to time, we still get the occasional impact from hurricanes/tropical storms.
One of the most recent being Tropical Storm Isaac (August 2012) which caused major flooding cross the East/West corridor, as well as the capital city-Port of Spain.

The question may arise: "What can I, as an individual, do?"

Last week, while at the office talking about the Superstorm Sandy, I initiated a discussion with my co-workers with respect to which “good deeds” we can do for the environment. One issue that immediately came to the forefront - the discarding of old newspapers. All my colleagues told me that they had a vast collection of newspapers, some even dating back to December 2011.

I recalled when I was doing some research, that the Trinidad and Tobago Society for the Prevention for Cruelty to Animals  (TTSPCA) collected newspapers. I immediately contacted them and with the help of my co-workers, I organized the transportation of all the newspapers to the TTSPCA. Here is their Facebook page:-
http://www.facebook.com/TTSPCA 

There are many other local agencies/groups that are involved in performing activities that help the environment right here in Trinidad and Tobago. They are also available on the social networks, to name a few:

GREENTNT whose aim is to make information "on being green" relevant to the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago, together with keeping our beautiful twin islands from becoming more polluted.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_178855555458845&ap=1

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AGENCY (EMA)  where they are committed to protecting and conserving the natural environment to enhance the quality of life.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Environmental-Management-Authority/143168174884

OFFICE OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND MANAGEMENT (ODPM) whose mission is to develop and manage the implementation of proactive measures,etc to prepare for hazards that threaten the people, environment and economy of Trinidad and Tobago.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_178855555458845&ap=1#!/ODPMTT?fref=ts

ENVIRONMENTALISM IN T&T  which is a humanitarian and socail movement of Trinidad and Tobago, fueled by a passion for conserving the environment.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_178855555458845&ap=1#!/pages/Environmentalism-In-TT/156980017654089?fref=ts

There are many other groups/organisations and these websites can be located on the GREENTNT Website.
http://greentnt.org/facebook

I can hear many persons saying: "I really care about helping the environment, but I have a very busy schedule. I just don't have any time to get involved or volunteer for any group or organisation."
 

Have no fear, there are many simple ways in which we can help the environment on a day-to-day basis. For example:

-Turn off lights and electronic devices when not in the room or not in use.

-Turn off the tap when brushing teeth etc

-Fix the plumbing, if it is leaking.
-Use alternative cleaning agents (vinegar, soda powder) instead of hazardous chemical (bleach)
-Carpool or walk, whenever it is possible.
-Take  your own bags to the grocery etc

-Reuse whenever you can-aluminum foil/containers, plastic cutlery.(Recycle)
There are many other ways that we can help...Just remember that it is important to know that we all can play a part in helping the environment.

 

"Treat the earth well…

it was not given to you by your parents
it was loaned to you by your children
we do not inherit the (Mother) Earth from our Ancestors
We borrow it from our Children"
Author unknown

Let our vibes be one with Mother Earth.
Let us all do a "good deed" to our Mother- the Environment.